Plymouth University offers a swift response to student applications

The UCAS Extra Scheme is aimed at students who have already applied for places at universities but have not received acceptable offers.

The initiative will give them the chance to apply to one university at a time, and find out quickly whether they have been given a place.

One such university - which is popular with island students - is Plymouth, which promises that those applying online can discover whether they have got a place within as little as 10 days.

The principle is similar to the clearing process which takes place after A level results are published in the summer.

But it is believed the new scheme will enable would-be undergraduates to explore all their options in a less pressured environment, and at a time when the choice of courses is far greater.